


the special case

by eggstasy



Series: Blood Gulch Freelancers [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 09:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6189946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eggstasy/pseuds/eggstasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carolina meets Michael J. Caboose two weeks before he’s to begin his new tour with the Project.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the special case

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PlayerProphet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlayerProphet/gifts).



Carolina meets Michael J. Caboose two weeks before he’s to begin his new tour with the Project.  “Special case,” the Director had informed her, “you’ll be working closely with this one.”  Most of the other agents brought in were already self-sufficient; the Project scoped out the best after all, those with unusual circumstances and desirable talents.  Cast offs.  Insubordinate but excellent soldiers.  People with easily rectifiable problems and a whole lot of gratitude.  While Carolina disagreed with a lot of her father’s practices when it came to scouting new agents, she could agree with him on one thing: team cohesion was of the utmost importance.

If he wanted this rookie, then that meant he had something vital to offer.  She would do whatever was necessary to make him want to give the Project his all.

They're meeting covertly on a nearby colony to rendezvous and then move to the transport she’d taken here to return to Valhalla Station.  When Carolina steps out onto actual land for the first time in a very long time she feels too solid, too heavy; the weightlessness of space, even with artificial gravity, had really seeped into her.  Living on a rock had lost its appeal years ago.

There is only one soldier who matches the description provided; a giant young man, can’t be older than twenty-five, with a baby face and shoulders so broad he might actually rival Maine in sheer bulk.  Carolina had read his file on the way over, of course; a SPARTAN III, also like Maine, who’d kept a relatively docile but excellent service record up until the botched second augmentation round.  ‘Diminished mental capacity’ is what it said on paper, but the Counselor had still evaluated him as a valuable asset.  It couldn’t be that bad.

Carolina stops in front of where the man is sitting, hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt as she looks at him.  He looks up at her after a few seconds and says, “Hello.  I am waiting for somebody.”

Right.  Well, the file wasn’t wrong.  “Pretty sure that somebody is me.  Are you Caboose?”

“I checked the phone book once, there’s a lot of Cabooses,” Michael points out, but he perks.  “But!  I’m the only one here!  I’m probably the person you’re looking for!”

There couldn’t be _that_ many people with a name like Caboose, but she’ll let that one go.  “I’m Carolina.  I’ll be escorting you over to Valhalla Station, and I’m going to be working with you as your commanding officer.”

The kid at least has his military rules beaten firmly into him, because he pops up to his feet and salutes.  “Yes ma’am sir, happy to be here and make some friends!”

…okay.  Well, he’s definitely friendly.  Iowa will adore him.  “Sir’s fine, but you don’t have to salute me you know.  We’re not in uniform.”

Michael glances down at himself in surprise.  “Oh, that’s right.”  He grabs his duffel and slings it over his shoulder and _Jeeesus_ the kid is even taller when he’s standing.  The top of Carolina’s head barely comes up to his collarbone; he must’ve taken to those growth hormone treatments like a tree to water.  “Do you need me to carry anything heavy?  I’m pretty good at that.”

“Not right now.”  Also eager to please?  Or maybe just polite.  Carolina turns and hears him fall into step behind her.  Shit with stealth though; they should make sure to keep him off covert operations until after an alarm is tripped.  “From here on out, you won’t be going by any of your given names.  Not among your peers, not among your superiors and _absolutely never_ on a mission.  Am I clear?”

“Yessir, mostly.”

Hoo boy.  Carolina has to reign in the urge to snap.  It’s not sass, she tells herself, he genuinely doesn’t know.  This isn’t like dealing with Mitch or Rhode or any of the others.  Be patient.  “Why ‘mostly’?”

“Um, if I have to fill out some forms or something, should I use my Agent name or my Michael name?  I’m supposed to put my whole Michael name on there, but maybe that’s not true anymore?”

“Any and all paperwork that will be necessary for you to sign will be prepared for you by the Project.  Of course, you’ll be allowed to read anything and refuse to sign, but filling out forms isn’t going to be something you’ll have to do often.”  She pauses before shooting a glance over her shoulder.  “And if you need help understanding the forms, an interpreter will be provided.”

He’s nodding along with what she’s saying, but Carolina has a feeling she’ll be saying it again a few more times.

“For now, I’m going to call you Agent Massachusetts.  You can call me Carolina, Agent Carolina or sir.  Does that work for you?”

“Um.”  Massachusetts stops, fidgeting shyly when Carolina turns to regard him sharply.  “You see, well- the name is pretty long, so if you wanted to shorten it, you could do that.  I would be okay with that.”

His file had mentioned that he had literally nobody in the world, at this moment.  No friends, no family; nobody to contact if he died here and now.  When Carolina thinks about it outside of the terms of a soldier and his duty, it’s…lonely.  That kind of loneliness for a kid who seems this eager to be around people is definitely sad.  And she might not be the most adept person at making friends (at all), but maybe she can put forth a little more effort to be personable.  If he latches onto that, all the better; she’ll be working closely with him, after all.  Detailed, definite instructions that leave nothing to the imagination.  He’ll have to trust her for that.

She’ll need to _earn_ his trust for that.

“Okay,” she says slowly, and doesn’t miss the way he brightens.  “Do you have anything in mind?”

“I can’t come up with it, sir,” he tells her, a little exasperated and okay, yeah, that surprises her.  Maybe he’s not just some sad shy kid.  “That’s kind of silly.”

Carolina’s lips twitch and she remembers, with some fondness, with some loneliness of her own, begging her parents for a little brother one holiday season.  “I guess you’re right.  Then, how about Mass, for starters?  We’ll work on the others along the way.  The name _is_ awful long, after all; that’s a lot of nickname opportunity.”

“Yes- _yes sir!_ ” Mass all but shouts, saluting her again and this time, she lets him.

This will take some getting used to.

**Author's Note:**

> prompt for [PlayerProphet](http://archiveofourown.org/users/PlayerProphet/pseuds/PlayerProphet) for correctly guessing what i suck at the most


End file.
